Apparatus for locating access openings for electrical outlet boxes in covering members

ABSTRACT

The apparatus disclosed includes a locator pin assembly for mounting on the outlet box before the covering member is placed over the box. It includes one or more pins, depending on the type of outlet box, that are attached to and extend perpendicularly from opposite sides of the mounting plate. The pins are sharp on both ends and pierce the covering member when the member is positioned over the box. A template is mounted on the protruding pin or pins to guide a cutting tool as it cuts the access opening for the box. The pin or pins extend different distances on opposite sides of the plate. On one side, the pins extend a relatively short distance for use with relatively thin covering members, such as wood paneling. On the other side, the pins extend a relatively long distance for use with relatively thick covering members, such as wallboard. An extractor is provided to attach the template to the locator pin assembly through the covering member to hold the template in position during the cutting operation and to allow the scrap and locator pin assembly to be removed together through the access opening.

This invention relates to building construction, and is directed moreparticularly to apparatus for locating access openings for electricaloutlet boxes in covering members, such as sheets of wallboard, woodpaneling, and the like.

In the mass construction of modern housing units, commercial officebuildings, and the like, it has become customary to use, in lieu ofplaster, covering members, such as sheets of wallboard, gypsum board,and the like. The sheets are secured to the studding or framing of thewalls or ceiling, sealed along the abutting edges thereof by taping thejoints between the sheets, and finished by painting, papering, or anyother well known technique. It also a common practice today to use ascovering members, relatively thin sheets of plywood formed from theveneer of highly attractive woods, such as mahogany and walnut, in lieuof wallboard, gypsum board, and the like. Such covering members, whetherwallboard, gypsum board or wood paneling, is generally obtained insheets which are cut to length and attached to the studding or framingof the walls or ceiling. Prior to the installation of the coveringmembers, electrical outlet boxes, which house switches, electricaloutlet plugs, and ceiling fixture connections, are located in thedesired position on the studs and framing of the walls and ceiling.These outlet boxes are located to extend through access openings formedin the covering members. Therefore, such access openings must be formedin the members either before or at the time the members are installed.Various methods and apparatus have been employed in the past to locatethese access openings. One method, of course, is to simply measure fromthe edge of the adjoining cover member the distance to the outlet boxand the distance to the outlet box from the floor or some otherreference point, and then cut the access opening based on thesemeasurements prior to placing the cover member in position. Anothercommonly used method is to apply chalk to the edge of the box, place thecovering member into position so that the chalk is transferred to themember to indicate the proper location of the opening.

Also, various devices have been proposed that can be mounted on theoutlet boxes to position templates to guide cutting tools for formingthe access opening. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,775,812,2,788,151, 3,733,707, and 3,823,754.

As shown in the above-listed patents, template locating members havebeen provided for mounting on the outlet boxes to extend through thecovering member and locate a template to guide the cutting of the accessopening. In the latter two patents, an opening is provided in thecovering member to receive the locating members. This means that somemeasuring must be done to locate the opening with reasonable accuracy.In the first two patents listed, locating members, such as flat blades,are forced through the covering member. This can be done with relativeease when using covering members of gypsum board or the like. With woodpaneling, however, considerably more force is required to force thelocating member through the wood. Thus, template locating members longenough to penetrate relatively thick gypsum board will have a muchgreater tendency to bend when subjected to the greater force requiredfor wood paneling.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide apparatus forlocating access openings for electrical outlet boxes in covering membersthat employs one length of template locating member for relatively thickcovering members of the gypsum board type and another length forrelatively thin covering members, such as wood paneling.

It is a further object of this invention to provide access openinglocating apparatus in which the template locator pins are rigidlysupported so that they will penetrate both gypsum board and woodpaneling without bending.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such apparatus thatincludes a template for locating on the locating members after they havepenetrated the covering member and an extractor that will hold thetemplate in position on the locator members while the access opening isbeing cut and which will allow the template and the locating members tobe easily removed with the scrap through the access opening so formed.

These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention willbe apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of thisspecification, including the attached drawings and appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional, exploded view of the apparatus of thisinvention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through the apparatus of this inventionin position for the access opening to be cut in the covering member;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the apparatus as assembled in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the apparatus removed and thecovering member in place with the outlet box located in the accessopening;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the locator pin assembly;

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the template; and

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of an alternate embodiment of the apparatusof this invention.

Electrical outlet box 10, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, is of the type designedto receive electrical switches and outlet plugs. It is mounted on stud11 in a conventional manner, with the open end of the box facing theroom. The box has tabs 12 and 13 that are connected to and flush withthe front edge of the box to provide mounting holes 14 and 15. Themounting holes are tapped to receive mounting screws that hold theelectrical apparatus, whether it be a switch or outlet plug, in positionin the box. The front or forward edge of the box, along with tabs 12 and13, are spaced from the edge of stud 11 a distance to place the frontedge of the box generally flush with the front side 16 of coveringmember 17 when the covering member is in position attached to stud 11.

In accordance with this invention, the apparatus includes a locator pinassembly having a body with locator pins extending therefrom in oppositedirections and for different distances. This provides a pin for hard topenetrate relatively thin covering members that is no longer thannecessary to pierce the member and support a template, thereby reducingthe tendency of the pin to bend. The pin on the other side can be longenough for the thicker but less dense covering members. In each case thepin not being used to pierce the cover member provides lateral supportfor the other. The body serves as means to hold the pin or pins in thedesired position and to resist the longitudinal thrust imposed on thepins by the piercing operation.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-6, locator pin assembly 18 has twosharpened locator pins 19 and 20 mounted on a body to extendperpendicularly from both sides thereof and for different distances.Preferably, the pins are circular in cross section to provide themaximum resistance to bending under the force of penetrating the covermmember with a minimum of cross-sectional area. As explained above, thebody provides means to hold the pins in fixed parallel relationship forinsertion into the mounting holes of the outlet box and to resist theforce of piercing the member by limiting the distance the pins can beinserted into the holes. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-6, the bodyor holding means includes flat, generally rectangular, plate 21 throughwhich locator pins 19 and 20 extend. Openings are provided in thelocator plate to receive the pins which are then attached to the plateby welding, or any other convenient manner, to hold the pins frommovement relative to the plate.

As explained above, it is one of the features of this invention thatlocator pins 19 and 20 are positioned relative to plate 21 so that onone side of the plate, the pins extend substantially further from theplate than they do on the opposite side. As shown in FIG. 1, portions19a and 20a of pins 19 and 20 are substantially longer and thus extendfarther from the plate than portions 19b and 20b. As shown, the locatorpin assembly is positioned for the shorter portions 19b and 20b to beinserted through mounting holes 14 and 15 to mount the locator pinassembly on the outlet box. So positioned, covering member 16, which isof the gypsum board type, is trimmed to the proper dimensions and thenplaced in position to be nailed to stud 11 and other framing. As it ismoved into position, it engages pins 19 and 20, and in particular, theelongated portions 19a and 20a, which will penetrate the board as theboard is moved into position, as shown in FIG. 2. Template 24, which asshown in FIG. 6, is a generally rectangular plate having openings 25 and26 to receive pins 19 and 20, which in turn positions the template onthe outside surface of covering member 16. As explained above, when thecovering member is of a thin material, such as wood paneling, that ismore dense than the gypsum type of wall covering, the long portions 19aand 20a are inserted in mounting holes 14 and 15, respectively, to mountthe locator pin assembly on the outlet box with short portions 19b and20b positioned to pierce the thinner covering member.

The template is designed to provide an access opening of the desiredsize and shape for the particular outlet box. The template can be heldin place by hand and the access opening cut, using the outside surfaceof the template as a guide. Alternatively, the shape of the accessopening could be marked on the cover member, using the template as aguide, and then after the template is removed, the access opening couldbe cut.

Generally, it is preferable to hold the template firmly in position,therefore this is one of the purposes and features of the extractormeans provided in accordance with this invention. As shown in FIG. 1,template 24 is provided with opening 27 which is in axial alignment withopening 28 in plate 21 of the locator pin assembly. The diameter ofopening 27 is such that the extractor can pass through this openingwithout engaging the template. In the embodiment shown, the extractorincludes threaded member 30 which is provided with a relative sharppoint and self tapping threads so that it can be forced with relativeease through covering member 16 and into engagement with opening 28 ofthe locator pin assembly. The self tapping threads engage the walls ofopening 28 and securely attach the threaded member to the locator plate21. Washer 32 is attached to threaded member 30 so that as the threadedmember is made up in opening 28 it will pull washer 32 into snugengagement with the template. With the extractor in place, the accessopening can be cut and the template, the scrap left from the cutting ofthe access opening, and locator pin assembly 18 can then be removedtogether through the access opening.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 7 is an alternate embodiment of theinvention for use with electrical outlet boxes of the type shown. Suchboxes are usually used for ceiling fixtures. In this embodiment, locatorpins 40 and 42 extend perpendicularly from opposite sides of body orplate 44. The pins extend outwardly different distances for the reasonsexplained above. The pins are in axial alignment and may comprise oneintegral member that extends through an opening in plate 44. The locatorpin assembly is mounted on outlet box 46 by mounting screws 48. Afterthe covering member is in place, template 50 is positioned with the pinin opening 52 of the template and the access opening is cut.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth,together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherentto the apparatus.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are ofutility and may be employed without reference to other features andsubcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of theclaims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the apparatus of thisinvention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to beunderstood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanyingdrawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

The invention having been described, what is claimed is:
 1. Apparatusfor locating an access opening to an electrical outlet box concealedbehind a covering member comprising a locator pin assembly for mountingon the outlet box, said assembly having a plate member and sharp-pointedlocator pins extending perpendicularly from both sides of the platemember with the pin on one side extending a relatively short distancefrom the plate member for piercing a relatively thin covering member,such as a wood panel, and the pin on the other side extending arelatively longer distance from the plate member for piercing arelatively thick covering member, such as wallboard, means for mountingthe locator pin assembly on the outlet box with the proper length of pinpositioned to pierce the wall covering, and a template for positioningon the pin after it has pierced the wall covering to indicate the properposition for the access opening.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 in whichthe locator pin assembly includes two locator pins on each side of theplate and in which the means for mounting the locator pin assemblyinclude the pins on the side of the plate member facing the outlet boxpositioned to extend into the mounting holes of the outlet box to mountthe assembly in the box.
 3. Apparatus for locating an access openingthrough a covering member to an electric outlet box that is open on oneside to receive electrical apparatus and is mounted between studding inthe construction of walls for buildings and which has mounting holes formounting electrical apparatus in the outlet box, comprising a locatorpin assembly including two locator pins, each sharpened at both ends,and means for holding the pins in fixed parallel relationship forinsertion into the mounting holes of an outlet box and for limiting thedistance the pins can be inserted into said holes, said holding meansengaging the pins so that in one position the pins extend outwardly fromthe mounting holes a relatively short distance to pierce relatively thincovering members and in the reversed position the pins extend outwardlyfrom the mounting holes a relatively longer distance to piercerelatively thick covering members, and a template for engaging the pinsas they extend through the covering members to guide a cutting tool forcutting an access opening in the covering member to receive the outletbox and through which the locator pin assembly can be removed with thecovering member in position.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 furtherprovided with extractor means for connecting the template to the locatorpin assembly with the scrap from the access opening therebetween toallow the template, the scrap, and the locator pin assembly to beremoved together from the opening.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 in whichthe template and the locator pin assembly are provided with alignedopenings and the extractor means includes means for extending throughthe openings to connect the template to the locator pin assembly.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 4 in which the extractor means includes a threadedmember for extending through the opening in the template to threadedlyengage the opening in the locator pin plate.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6in which the threaded member has a self tapping thread for penetratingthe scrap and for engaging the locator pin plate.